Do You Know Why Newcastle Is Called "The Knights"?

Newcastle, New South Wales, is home to the Newcastle Knights, an Australian rugby league team. They participate in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership, the top rugby league competition in Australasia. Do you know why Newcastle is called "The Knights"? Let's find out the answer through this article.

A Brief History

For most of the 20th century, a Newcastle rugby league squad was put together from members of the Newcastle Rugby League to compete in various tournaments. In 1988, Allan McMahon led the Newcastle Knights into the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) tournament. Newcastle had previously been asked to enter a team in the NSWRL tournament for the 1982 season, but they turned it down out of concern that it would make the local league competition in the region less competitive. In their stead, the Canberra Raiders were allowed to participate in the 1982 competition.

Newcastle Knights was a hit right away, rising to the top of the league in its inaugural campaign. The squad had gained enough strength by 1990 to compete in a play-off for fifth place.

The club won the Nissan Sevens in 1991 and advanced to the playoffs that year, where they lost to the St. George Dragons. When the competition changed to the Australian Rugby League (ARL) in 1995, the Knights once again advanced to the semifinals and claimed the reserve grade championship in the same year.

Newcastle Knights 

When Rupert Murdoch launched the Super League in an effort to secure the paid television rights to rugby league, the club remained committed to the ARL. In the Newcastle and Hunter Region districts, this choice enjoyed high popularity. In Australia's lone Super League season, News Limited created the Hunter Mariners to play against the Knights, but the Mariners did not receive much local support.

The Knights made the finals seven years in a row from 1997 to 2003. The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles were defeated 22-16 by the Knights in the 1997 Australian Rugby League Grand Final, which gave the Knights the championship. The game's memorable moment came just seven seconds before the game's end when Darren Albert's try broke a 16–all tie. Following the announcement earlier in the year that BHP Steelworks, the region's largest employer, would close, this victory was a tremendous morale booster for the community. The winning team consisted of 70% juniors from Newcastle. Robbie O'Davis received the Clive Churchill Medal this year.

The Knights' Robbie O'Davis, Wayne Richards, and Adam MacDougall all tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs the following season, but all three insisted they began using after the team's victory in 1997. Despite MacDougall's medical need for the steroids and O'Davis' allegations that the club wasn't informed his substance was prohibited until after his positive test, the three were punished. The Knights also canceled Wayne Richards' contract.

The Newcastle club tied for second place with the Brisbane Broncos in terms of competition points in 1998 but took second place in terms of points differential (sum of points scored fewer points scored against). The Knights had a great chance to go to the final rounds in 1999, but they lost their final two games to finish 7th and were eliminated a week later by the Parramatta Eels. Newcastle Knights finished third in 2000, then beat the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League Premiership in 2001, with Andrew Johns taking home the Clive Churchill Medal. Newcastle entered the game as a huge underdog but stunned the Eels with a 24-0 advantage at the half and a 30-24 victory. The club tied the New Zealand Warriors for second place in competition points in 2002 but came in second in the minor premiership due to a weaker points differential.

The Novocastrians had a promising year in 2006 thanks to the addition of winger Brian Carney from Great Britain and Ireland and former Raider Luke Davico, as well as the retention of 2005 signing Milton Thaiday and a number of talented young juniors, including Brad Tighe, Jarrod Mullen, Reegan Tanner, and Riley Brown. Newcastle finally placed fourth overall, a startling turnaround in their season, but they were disqualified from the finals after losing to the Brisbane Broncos 50-6 in the semifinal.

Before the 2006 NRL season began, it was revealed that Michael Hagan, the club's longest-tenured coach, would leave after the 2006 campaign to start a three-year deal with the Parramatta Eels. Ironically, the Newcastle team announced Brian Smith, the Parramatta coach, would take over as head coach in 2007 during the week of the 2006 season-opening match versus Parramatta.

On and off the field, the 2007 NRL season was a turbulent one for Newcastle Knights. The club and rugby league world was shaken by Andrew Johns' unexpected retirement after a strong start to the season that included wins over contenders like the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Although they were able to remain in the top eight until the final third of the season, the loss of their captain and the most important player had a clear impact on the team, and it permanently harmed their season. Additionally, the Knights had the worst injury rate in the 2007 season, fielding 37 first-graders by the end of the campaign.

Why is Newcastle Called "The Knights"?

Newcastle Knights

The Newcastle Knights were revived in 1988 to represent rugby league in the Hunter region. Newcastle got the nickname "The Knights" as a nod to its history as a "steel city" and industrial center. The district's representative team, which wore red jerseys, white shorts, and blue socks, served as the inspiration for the red and blue colors of the shirt.

Newcastle Knights Logo

Newcastle Knights logo

Since its establishment in 1988, the well-known Newcastle Knights logo has experienced a number of alterations. The fundamental identity of the Knights' head, which stands for strength, resiliency, and bravery, has been preserved in each change despite their delicate nature.

The Knights' head will turn the other way starting in 2020, looking ahead to a promising future. With the first inclusion of Est. 1988 into the design, the club's history is now front and center.

These adjustments enable the brand and Newcastle Knights logo to be modernized while ensuring that our rich heritage is unaffected and the elements that make the brand iconic are retained.

Newcastle Knights Fans: The Most Rabid In The NRL

Newcastle Knights fans

The Newcastle Knights were the third-best-supported team in the NRL in 2008, 2011, and 2012, and its supporters have been dubbed among the most fervent in the league. The average attendance at home games was 18,750 in 2008, 19,186 in 2011, and 20,919 in 2012. With 18,637 spectators in Round 16 of the 2012 season, the Knights also attracted the greatest Monday Night Football crowd.

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